EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a store or transaction establishment. EPLs display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is typically obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file which contains item identification information and item price information.
To keep the cost of EPLs to a minimum, current EPLs often include a limited amount of memory, and typically are used by retailers to display limited information, such as a regular retail price and a price per unit. However, retailers wish to display ever increasing amounts of information other than the regular price and the unit price. Depending on the retail environment, it may be particularly desirable to display alternate information, such as the amount of value added tax (VAT), a “frequent shopper” discounted price, or other promotional information applicable to a certain merchandise item.
Due to the limited memory and display capacity of current EPLs, retailers have attempted to utilize sequential messages. For example, the EPL will display a first message containing regular price and unit price information, followed by a second message containing alternate information, followed by a return to the first message with blinking or flashing or scrolling between the two messages. However, such sequential messaging has several disadvantages. For example, the prospective customer may see the first message and then proceed to another item in the store without seeing the second message and without purchasing the item. Thus, the prospective customer first must recognize that there are sequential messages, and then must be prepared to stand at the display for several seconds in order to receive all the information. In this latter case, the customer's progress through the store is slowed, and customers may become easily frustrated by having to wait.
Sequential messaging suffers from another serious disadvantage, in that the instruction to scroll requires transmission of extra data to the EPL. This transmission consumes bandwidth and requires more communication time than would be required in the absence of the scrolling instruction.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for handling alternate information on EPLs so as to make all necessary information available to the prospective customer at the same time. It also would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for handling alternate information in an EPL system which conserves system bandwidth.